Chapter 70 – Bear-san, Meeting With The King
I returned first and went to Noa’s mansion to fetch Fina.
The capital was still noisy.
Well, a fast messenger would come tomorrow and it would settle down.
When I arrived at the residence, Suriri-san, who I made the flower bed with, took me to the living room.
After she told me to wait a little, I heard running, and the door burst open.
「Big Sis Yuna!」
「Yuna-san!」
Both Fina and Noa entered the room.
「You two, were you alright?」
「More importantly, are you okay, Big Sis Yuna?」
「Yuna-san, how is Father doing?」
「It’s fine! The monsters have been exterminated, and I made sure Cliff was okay. He will probably arrive within a few days, I think.」
「Really?」
The smiling Noa was back.
「Noa, thank you for looking after Fina.」
「Not at all, she is my friend, so it’s natural.」
「Noa-sama...」
Fina seemed happy.
The day after I got back to the capital, the messenger arrived. After that, the soldiers and adventurers gradually came back and talked about the mysterious party of adventurers.
In the middle of this, Cliff also arrived.
The guild master Sanya-san returned the day after that, and I was ordered to report to the guild.
「Welcome, Yuna-chan.」
「So, did you need something?」
「Yes, there is a little problem, you see.」
She continued talking while avoiding eye contact.
「The king, you see, wants to meet with Yuna-chan, or more specifically, the imaginary A-rank adventurer.」
「The king wants...I can refuse, right?」
「That’s...He said that he wanted it at all costs, you see. He keeps asking for your name. Of course, I didn’t talk about you, Yuna-chan.」
The king = BIG TROUBLES.
The formula appeared in my head.
「Sanya-san, thank you for taking care of me. I will go on a journey, so please don’t search for me.」
I recited a phrase that often came out in templates.
「Wait a minute! If you run, there will be a wanted poster! If you run, I will tell him your name!」
「Is that a threat?」
「I am talking about finding a compromise. You don’t want anyone to know about what you did, right?」
「Yes.」
「Then, what about just talking about it with the king? I will ask his Highness to not tell anyone else!」
「You can do something like that?」
He was the king of a country.
Didn’t she understand that?
Not to mention, an unknown adventurer wouldn’t be able to see the king without guards in the room.
「He’s a man of his word, so if we can make him swear, it will be possible.」
「And if he doesn’t?」
「At the worst, you will become a hero or receive a medal. Ah, you may have to do a handshake with the king during the birthday event.」
「Hmm, how far do I have to walk to go to another country? If possible, a country far enough away that this country won’t have any influence there.」
「That’s why, Yuna-chan, won’t you give me one day? If his Highness swears, won’t you meet him? It won’t be too late to run after that, right?」
She was right. I just had to run if he was about to make me a hero.
I unwillingly accepted Sanya-san’s proposal and left the guild.
Afterwards, I returned and leisurely passed time in the Bear House. Sanya-san came in the evening.
「Sorry for coming at this late hour.」
「No problem. So, did you finish talking to the king?」
「Yes, his Highness will see you alone.」
「Will it really be just the king? He’s the king, you know. What would happen if I was an assassin?」
「I will be present as well, just in case. His Highness also absolutely wants to meet and thank the one who killed the monsters, it seems. That’s why he accepted all of my requests.」
If he went to that extent, I couldn’t refuse.
「Then, when do I have to go see him?」
「Tomorrow morning, I will come and get you.」
Then, I’ll ask the most important question.
「Is it okay to go with this kind of clothing? Though, if it’s impossible, I will leave the capital today.」
If I didn’t have the Bear Suit, I wouldn’t be able to escape.
「It’s okay. I asked his Highness if he wanted to see you even if you wore strange clothes, and he responded that it was no problem, after all.」
Even though my mood was still heavy, the next day came.
I was praying that Sanya-san wouldn’t come, but my prayer apparently didn’t reach the heavens, because she came to pick me up.
I asked Fina to take care of the house and went to the castle with Sanya-san.
When we entered the castle, someone I didn’t want to see was standing there.
「Ara? Yuna-chan. What are you doing here with the guild master?」
We met Eleanora-san, who was walking around in the castle.
There was a high chance that I would see Eleanora-san, since she worked at the castle.
However, meeting her even though the castle was so vast, what was with this bad timing?
「Eleanora-sama, good morning. Yuna-chan and I had a little business in the castle.」
「Ara, is that so? Where are you going? I will come as well.」
「No, that’s...」
「Ara, don’t be so reserved. I have some free time, after all.」
「Is it okay with your job?」
「My subordinates are excellent, so there’s no problem.」
Sanya-san was troubled with those words.
Of course, I was troubled too.
After seeing our faces, Eleanora-san burst into laughter.
「Fufu, sorry. Don’t make such troubled faces. I heard the story about the monsters from Cliff, after all. Of course, I didn’t talk about it with anyone, so don’t fret. You are going to meet with the king now, right?」
「Your personality is really rotten, Eleanora-sama.」
「But, that’s because Yuna-chan didn’t say anything to me!」
「I didn’t have any choice, Eleanora-san. You are affiliated with the castle, after all.」
「That’s not a reason to muzzle Cliff, right? It was really hard to make him talk, you know?」
Cliff did his best, huh?
With that, I wanted to be angry, but I couldn’t.
Still, how did she make him talk?
「If you have already heard the story, Eleanora-sama, do you really want to come with us?」
「Yes, I am coming. There is the story I heard from Cliff too, after all.」
We – the three of us now – went to the king-sama’s audience room.
Imperial guards were standing at the entrance.
It seemed that the guards had been informed, and when they saw the guild master, they guided us into the room.
「You did well to come here.」
When we entered, I saw a handsome middle aged man who was past his 40s.
This man must be the king.
However, he didn’t wear a crown.
「Eleanora is here too?」
「The person who killed the monsters is my acquaintance, after all.」
Eleanora-san was looking at me.
Noticing that, the king’s gaze also turned to me.
「And? I heard that you would bring an A-rank adventurer? Who is this girl wearing a Bear Suit?」
「Your Highness, pardon me! There isn’t any A-rank adventurer. The one who killed all the monsters was this girl alone. I say that, but I am sure you won’t trust me. The story of the A-rank adventurer is a lie.」
「I’m not so free that I can listen to your jokes. When is the adventurer coming?」
The king was angry.
It was a natural thing.
After all, he was suddenly told that it wasn’t an A-rank adventurer who killed the monsters, but a girl in a Bear Suit.
「That’s why I didn’t want you to meet her. Your Highness, this is the truth, and you just have to believe it. This is something I guarantee.」
「I guarantee it too.」
「You too?」
「It’s because she saved Cliff, after all. There is no better proof than this.」
The king was looking at me.
「Was it really you who exterminated them? Remove the hood and talk.」
I was so stressed about being in front of the king that I hadn’t removed my hood.
I took it off it and greeted him.
「I am the adventurer Yuna.」
「It’s just a child! Did you really kill more than 10,000 monsters alone?」
I may be short, but I am 15!
「I killed them. If you want proof, I will give it.」
「Is there any?」
「I have the corpses of the Worm and Wyverns I killed.」
「This girl has a bag that is a relic from ancient times, after all.」
「She has something like that?」
「I guarantee it.」
This thing about an ancient relic was something we discussed before coming here.
My Bear Box was special, and normal bags wouldn’t be able to hold something as big as the Worm.
They said that the only bags that could do that were artifacts from the past.
That was why I decided to say that my Bear Box was a relic from the past.
「If you suddenly say that, I won’t be able to believe it. However, if the two of you say that, it must be true.」
The king looked at me again.
「I will express my gratitude. Thank you for saving the citizens of this country, and the soldiers’ lives.」
「Don’t thank me, killing the monsters was just something I did while I was passing by.」
「...While you were passing by?」
My real thoughts leaked out...
「That’s right. You see, Yuna-chan killed the monsters for my daughter’s sake.」
Eleanora-san was talking happily, with a carefree smile.
After that, she started to talk about the reason the monsters were defeated, which she had heard from Cliff, finding it hilarious.
「A girl was on the brink of tears, and that was your reason to defeat them?」
「Ara, isn’t that enough of a reason? Fighting for the ones you want to protect.」
「I know. However, the one who planned this will turn in his grave, I think.」
「「Planned?」」
The guild master’s voice and mine overlapped.
「That’s right. Since you are involved, it’s okay if I tell you.」
The king explained that this attempted monster attack was the scheme of a guy who planned it for revenge.
There was a magic that could control monsters!?
There was the possibility of taming monsters to become your companions in the game as well, but...
After hearing what the king said, it didn’t seem to be the same.
I didn’t know any magic that would consume your life.
Was that some sort of forbidden magic from this world?
I was thinking about that when it became noisy outside of the room.
「You can’t, Princess Flora. There are guests inside the room.」
The door opened a little and I heard some voices.
「No! I will go see Bear-san!」
「Please!」
「Nooo!」
「What is happening?」
「That’s...Princess Flora wants to see the Bear-san, it seems.」
When the imperial soldier opened the door and explained it, Princess Flora used her little body to break through and enter the room.
「Bear-san!」
She approached and then hugged me.
「We finally meet!」
She smiled happily while rubbing her head on my stomach.
「What, you are an acquaintance of Flora?」
「The last time I went to the castle with her, we met Princess Flora.」
Eleanora-san responded for me.
「Is it possible that the Bear Picture Book is...」
「You saw it? Yuna-chan was the one who wrote it. It was great, right?」
「What to say. The pictures were really quite cute. When I asked who wrote it, Flora just responded that it was Bear-san, you see. Now I understand why.」
He was looking at me.
I am a bear, got a problem?
「Bear-san, let’s play!」
「Umm, I don’t know.」
I looked at all of them.
「I don’t mind!」
I received the king’s permission.
Guuuuuu~
Right then, I heard the sound of a hungry little stomach.
「Princess Flora, are you hungry?」
「Yes.」
There was some time before lunch.
There was pudding inside of the Bear Box.
If it was just that, there would be no problem, I think.
However, was it something that could be offered to a princess?
「Umm, is it okay if I give something to eat to the princess?」
「I don’t mind.」
Was it really okay to give permission so easily?
If I gave her poison, what would he do?
「You said it’s okay, but is it really? What if there is poison in it?」
「What, you’ll give her poisoned things?」
「I won’t, but...if you are a king, you should be a little more mistrustful, I think.」
「Eleanora and Sanya are people I trust. It’s not something I have to fret about.」
「Then, shall we go to your room, Princess?」
「Yes.」
「You just have to eat it here, and the strange doubt will disappear too.」
That was a sound argument, but I didn’t want to take pudding out in front of the king.
However, it was a little too late to say that I wouldn’t take it out now.
I took the pudding and a spoon out of the Bear Box.
「Princess Flora, please take this.」
「What is that?」
「It’s a cold, sweet, and delicious dessert.」
Princess Flora held the spoon in her little hand and brought it to her mouth.
At this moment, the smile that sprouted on her face was like a blooming flower.
Princess Flora continued scooping pudding into her mouth without stopping.
It seemed to please her.
「Is it good?」
「Mhm...」
She nodded slightly.
Her smile was cute.
It made me want to pat her head, but it would mean patting the princess’s head in front of the king.
Though, there was no one who would blame me.
「What, is it that delicious?」
It seemed that seeing his daughter eat so happily pleased him.
「Yuna-chan, I want to eat one more too.」
Eleanora-san was looking this way with jealousy.
「Eleanora-sama, you have had experience eating it?」
Sanya-san asked.
Her eyes were glued to the pudding.
Oh, was it possible that she wanted it too?
「Yes, I have had the pleasure of eating it before. It’s cold, sweet, and really delicious.」
All of their gazes were alternating between the pudding and me.
「Hmm, you want to eat some?」
「Yeah, I will take it.」
「Thank you, Yuna-chan.」
「Is it okay for me too?」
For now, I took out three of them.
There were just five puddings remaining.
Fina also really wanted to eat it, so they couldn’t have more than one each.
「What...is...this...」
「Yes~! It’s really delicious.」
「Ara, it’s really delicious!」
It was great that it pleased the three of them.
At that moment, I could sense a gaze.
Princess Flora was staring at me strongly.
She was looking at the now empty cup and at me.
「This is the last one. After all, if you eat more, you won’t be able to eat lunch.」
I warned her before taking out another one.
「What, there is something so delicious that has been produced near the castle.」
「I didn’t know about this either.」
「When I think about it, it’s normal. It’s a pastry that Yuna-chan invented, after all.」
Eleanora-san explained it for me, but it wasn’t really like I invented it.
However, I couldn’t really say that it was knowledge from Earth.
「Is that right? But it’s really delicious.」
「That’s right.」
「If they know the recipe, could our chefs make it too?」
「Yeah, they could.」
I didn’t want to tell them.
「No good! Yuna-chan is trying to build up a store with this food, so that the children of an orphanage will have jobs.」
「What do you mean?」
Eleanora-san heard about this from Cliff, huh. She started talking about what I was doing in the town.
The fact that I was taking care of the orphanage and the fact that I was raising Cluckers for their eggs, which was an ingredient for the pudding.
Also the fact that I was thinking that, if there were some children who wanted to become cooks, I would help them open a restaurant.
「Why do you know all of that in this much detail?」
「Of course, it’s because in each letter Cliff sent me, he was writing so much about you that it could have made me jealous. It was written in the letter you were holding too.」
Someone, make a protection of personal information law, please!
「In that case, I won’t ask for the recipe. However, if you could bring some every so often, the princess and I would be very grateful.」
「Yes, if it’s like that.」
「Eleanora, prepare a letter that will permit Yuna to enter the castle whenever she wants.」
「Yes, understood.」
Apparently they would add an emblem to my guild card that would permit me to enter the castle as I wanted so that I could bring the pudding.
Was it okay like this?
Author’s Note
The monster arc that I wrote because I just thought of it is now finished.
I didn’t think of anything to write after that, so Fina’s point of view is planned to be next.
You could say that it will be something to buy time.
I have some stories for when they return to the town, but what will I write for the birthday party?